 'Culture war prevents us from the first great end of the church,' Gathering VIII told Proposal for 'gracious separation' outlined By Craig M. Kibler The Layman Online Wednesday, October 8, 2003 PORTLAND, Ore. – Declaring that the "politics of the church turns off far more people to the gospel than we are able to turn on by preaching," Robert L. Howard told more than 250 people Tuesday morning that a "cultural war prevents us from the first great end of the church." Presenting a proposal called gracious separation, Howard, a member of the board of the Presbyterian Coalition which is sponsoring Gathering VIII, emphasized Tuesday that it is merely a proposal and not an official strategy of the Coalition. He referred people to the organization's official "5-Cs" strategy:
"I really regret that the moderator is not here for this," he said, referring to Moderator Susan R. Andrews, who was delayed and did not arrive until Tuesday afternoon. "Two years ago," Howard said, "I presented the '5-Cs' strategy. The moderator then in attendance spent a large part of his term campaigning throughout the church misunderstanding and misstating what I said. It was personal vilification – he said I was a radical fundamentalist, that I had declared war on the PCUSA. "Well, it was not a declaration of war on the denomination, but a statement of fact that we are bogged down in a cultural war. "The question has been raised," he said, "'How do we reach the world for Christ? That's our first call, the first great end of the church. In the last 20 years, I've come to the conclusion that the politics of the church turns off far more people to the gospel than we are able to turn on by preaching. Turned on by preaching, turned off by politics. It is this cultural war that prevents us from the first great end of the church. "Gracious separation is not a substitute for reform from within this denomination," Howard said. "We are called to reform this denomination. It is our duty and we should support that with all of our heart and passion and energy." He also emphasized previous points presented in an earlier draft of the proposal, focusing on the intractable theological differences between liberals and evangelicals in the PCUSA and a methodology for both sides to become part of two entirely new Presbyterian denominations. The proposal calls for a "super-majority" vote by a congregation to affiliate with one of two new denominations and the right of congregations to retain their property. Howard cited "irreconcilable differences," "a dysfunctional national church" and an "entrenched bureaucracy" as reasons why Presbyterians might wish to part ways. "Nationally, the PCUSA has become primarily a political institution devoting most of its time, talent and treasure to secular agendas," he said. "Our mission and evangelism witness is increasingly anemic." In the earlier draft, the proposal cited the continued infighting over the denomination's constitutional ordination standard and widespread defiance of the "fidelity/chastity" requirement, contending that "the stated clerk has consistently refused to be pro-active to ensure compliance. He reflects the minds of the entrenched bureaucracy nationally and in most presbyteries." "We are really two churches," Howard said, "with diametrically opposed theologies and Christologies, which produce irreconcilable differences as to what the priorities of the church ought to be." He said the divisions are deeper than the ordination issue, noting that "we do not share a common understanding of who Christ is. The traditional wing of the church believes in the Christ of the Scriptures. The left wing of the church believes in a Christ of human deconstruction and the product of 'progressive theology.'" "We are 'irreconcilable' in human terms because we are flawed and sinful people and cannot humanly overcome our differences," he said. "We are trying to build unity politically, without the radical redirection of the heart, which Scripture teaches is required for reconciliation. "Gracious separation is not a new idea – it was discussed at two Gatherings by Mark Toone," Howard said Tuesday. "What is new about gracious separation, in this outline, is that it is simply a proposal based on my experience as a lawyer for 45 years. Gracious separation can occur if we put our minds to it." In an afternoon workshop on the proposal, he said evangelicals had made "a strategic blunder" when they repeatedly said they would not leave but, instead, would work to renew the church from within. This continual "stay and fight" approach was taken seriously by "the entrenched bureaucracy, who are tied to the extreme left of our church." The leadership of the denomination, Howard said, could attack the Confessing Church Movement as being made up of "Biblical zealots," while doing everything possible to serve the interests of the "left, the liberals, the progressives ... whatever you want to call them," due to fears that those on the left would leave the church. The accommodation of the leadership to those on the left is a "disproportional influence," he said, because the Confessing Church Movement is comprised of nearly 1,300 churches, while those congregations affiliated with the Covenant Network and More Light Presbyterians total only around 320. "This is a strategy for peace, not a repudiation of our ordination vows. It is a fulfillment of them," he said. Gracious separation is a "proclamation of the church for Jesus Christ, not a plan to preserve a denominational structure. It is not euthanasia of our sick and ailing mother. It is corporate reorganization." Howard emphasized that gracious separation is not an easy conclusion. "When I talk about gracious separation," he said, "I do it with no joy. This is not a joyful, but a realistic assessment." Describing the irreconcilable differences in the church as a "dysfunctional corporation," he said the present leadership has lost the vision of the founders. Like a company, the denominational structure is becoming less efficient, less productive and less profitable and that is leading to the loss of loyalty by its membership, which is leaving the denomination at an average of 50,000 people per year. As with a company, the only logical alternative is to reorganize the structure around such a proposal as gracious separation. It would be "a new way to end the culture war in our church," he said. "The PCUSA is a corporate construct of the merger of two denominations 20 years ago. The denomination is a structure in which we currently serve – it is not eternal," Howard said. The proposal is "not the abandonment of the church that called us to serve, but the church was not called to be a indentured servant of a denominational structure." The proposal for gracious separation, he said, is "a recognition of the conflicts that exist within this family that no longer shares a common understanding of the saving worship of Jesus Christ. This church does not have the will to discipline and it is a reality we must contend with. Discipline is beholden to the Word of God." In conclusion, Howard emphasized that, "We're builders not destroyers. We need to build a denomination that's faithful to Jesus Christ." As part of that building effort, he encouraged people to provide comments to what he called a work in progress, in the form of an overture, for gracious separation: Whereas during the past 40 years, the PCUSA and its principal predecessor have experienced continuous dramatic declines in membership and viability of congregations; Whereas, the national structure of the PCUSA has become primarily a political institution devoting much of its time, talent and treasure to secular and unBiblical agendas, with the entrenched bureaucracy providing disproportionate leverage to such agendas; Whereas, we are a denomination in defiance of our own Constitution without a demonstrated will among most Presbyterians to initiate and employ the Rules of Discipline as a means of grace to uphold God's Word, to restore fellowship, and to obtain compliance with our Constitution; Whereas, the ineffective response of denominational leadership to open defiance of the Constitution is encouraging continued defiance by those who disagree with the overwhelming majority votes upholding our ordination standards; Whereas, the current leadership asserts that the mind of Christ has not yet been discerned on the ordination issue and by their actions undermine the will of the overwhelming majority of church members who have repeatedly upheld the historic and Biblical constitutional standards of chastity in singleness and fidelity in marriage between one man and one woman; Whereas, disagreement over sexual practice is only the most visible evidence of a church that is increasingly divided, with oppositional theologies and Christologies, producing very different priorities for the church; Whereas, such divisions result in continuous political maneuvering and power struggles, which dishonor Christ and distract the whole church from His Great Commission; Whereas, such divisions and differences are irreconcilable because we no longer share a common understanding of the authority of Scripture, the person, work and Lordship of Christ, and the commitment to holy living that discipleship requires; Therefore, we call upon the whole church to support gracious separation through which the PC(USA) will be dissolved and two new denominations formed. One consisting of individuals and congregations committed to the exclusive Lordship of Jesus Christ, the authority of the Scriptures, and the power of the Holy Spirit to actively transform sinners into saints; and the other consisting of individuals and congregations committed to a "progressive theology" that affirms multiple ways to salvation, the shared authority of Scripture and human experience, and the belief that polity can bring unity among sinners and saints who do not share a common understanding of the gospel. Gracious separation into two new denominations and dissolution of the PCUSA could be accomplished through a four-year process of voluntary and cooperative corporate reorganization involving at least the following steps: A. Shadow denominations created by the two opposing wings of the denomination commence the process. Each publicly defines the distinctives of its theology, Christology and polity, while working cooperatively to implement complete gracious separation. B. General Assembly creates a Reorganization Task Force (RTF) and imposes a moratorium on all constitutional changes during the four-year interim period. The General Assembly staff downsizes by attrition. 1. The RTF, with balance/equal representation from the shadow denominations, directs all planning groups, teams and materials required for specific PCUSA assets and entities. 2. The RFT develops interim arrangements for PCUSA governance while detailed work is completed for reorganization into two new corporate entities. 3. The RTF will oversee the voting require of every congregation, under strict due process guidelines, to determine affiliation with which new denomination. 4. The RTF oversees procedures by which every minister of Word and Sacrament, including all retired clergy, elect to transfer their status to one of two new denominations. 5. The RTF oversees procedures by which every Board of Trustees of every college, seminary and other separate corporate entities determine the affiliation/relationship with which denomination. 6. The RTF approves the names of two new denominations to avoid too much similarity to the old name, which neither can use. 7. At the end of the four-year interim reorganization period, the General Assembly takes all necessary legal actions to transfer assets to new legal entities created by the shadow denominations and o dissolve the exiting PCUSA. C. Special procedures for particular assets. 1. Pension fund – divided into two separate pension funds following the four-year transition period, in proportion to minister elections as to denomination affiliation. 2. Foundation – divided into two separate foundations following the four-year transition period based on a review of all foundation gifts for donor intent. If donor intent is not discernable, then the gifts will be divided in proportion to the membership of the two new denominations. D. Congregational Decisions/Affiliations. 1. Each congregational vote would require a super majority to determine the new affiliation. The process would require fair and balanced presentation of distinctives of each new denomination and strict guidelines for notice and voting. 2. If less than super majority decides in favor of one new denomination, then the majority would allocate a portion of the congregation's assets, corresponding to the size of the minority, for new church development in the other denomination. E. Interim Presbyteries are developed by the shadow denominations. Upon final reorganization, the new denominations will determine the number and size of their presbyteries based on the numbers and location of churches. All existing synods cease to function. All reorganization decisions are through the General Assembly, congregations and the shadow denominations. a. It will allow them to focus resources of time, talent and treasure on what they perceive to be the core mission of the church: evangelism and discipleship. b. It will allow them to structure a 21st century organization that is downsized, streamlined, missional and designed to serve congregations. c. An empowering vision for a different kind of denominational structure will generate energy for continued reform of the PCUSA from within during the transition to gracious separation. d. As some within the church will continue to press for more inclusive ordination standards and the redefinition of marriage, reorganization provides relief of conscience for those who oppose such changes. e. Unchallenged control of smaller, more effective institutional structures is better than continually challenging those in control of the existing one. 2. Liberals and progressives could support it because: a. It will allow them to focus resources of time, talent and treasure on what they perceive to be the core mission of the church: justice and social righteousness. b. Recognizing that they do not have the votes to change ordination standards, reorganization would allow for open standards in a new denomination. c. As some within the church continue to press for discipline, reorganization provides relief of conscience for those who oppose discipline. 3. Institutional preservationists and employed staff of existing structures could support it because: a. Present positions are threatened by continued unrest and conflict, lack of trust in the national leadership and budgetary constraints, all of which will increase due to irreconcilable theological division. b. Two new denominations will generate sufficient institutional positions for all who are called to such service, allowing them to serve without conflict over their personal convictions. |
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